An Extraordinary Senior Year
by AlwaysLove90
Summary: Takes place during Season Six. There's a new budding writer in Tree Hill and she's intrigued to find out all about the truths of An Unkindness of Ravens. Naley. Leyton. Brulian. Mouth. Jamie. Many more. Please R&R.
1. Look A Little Closer

**A/N - This is my first OTH fic. It's sort of a retrospective of all the goings on seasons one to six so far. I haven't really written very far ahead so there is the potential for a whole lot of drama. But I'm hoping to keep Leyton, Naley and Brulian happy all the way through. There'll be Chia (Chase and Mia) and Mouth won't be lonely either I don't think.**

**I'm open to ideas in reviews too. So please read and review.**

**The other chapters will be longer, this is just a little taster to see what you guys think!  
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**K x**

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Chapter One - Look A Little Closer

Slinging my bag over my shoulder I wandered to my English class. I was hoping Haley was still in there, I had a lot of questions for her. She was sitting at her desk, her son James was sitting at the front desk in the middle of the room, the desk next to mine. "You sure are starting high school early little man," I said, dropping my bag to the floor.

"I am James Lucas Scott, age five," he beamed, holding his hand out to shake mine.

I shook my head, "I'm Phoenix Anna Lewis," I turned to Haley, "You don't mind me coming in so late, do you?" I asked.

Shaking her head, she smiled at me and gestured for me to sit down, "No, not at all. I've just been trying to keep Jamie away from distracting his Uncle Lucas…"

"-He's making a movie," James cut in, "And it starts when he didn't like Daddy."

I couldn't help but smile at his eagerness to tell me all about it, "I've read all about it," I said, rummaging in my bag for my copy of An Unkindness of Ravens. "And I want to write a piece about the movie. Lucas, you, all of it." I turned from Jamie to Haley. "I know you probably have journalists banging on at you everyday, and if you think I'd get in the way I'll drop the idea. But I just think it's a great opportunity and I want to submit it for an internship in New York this summer. What do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea," she smiled at me.

Again, I went into my bag and thrust a few sheets of paper in front of her, "Here's just a few things I've been working on. It's just first drafts, and I know you'll be really busy with Jamie and marking and having a life, but I would real-"

"Of course I'll take a look at it Nic." She skimmed through the first few lines of the first page. Words I could recite backwards.

"My name is Lucas Scott, I am a senior at Tree Hill High School. Tree Hill is just a place somewhere in the world, maybe it's a lot like your world, maybe it's nothing like it. But if you look closer, you might see someone like you. My name is Pheonix Anna Lewis, and I am a senior at Tree Hill High School. Tree Hill used to be just a place somewhere in the world, maybe it was a lot like your world, maybe it was nothing like it. But if you looked close enough, you would probably have found someone a lot like you." Haley smiled, gesturing for me to continue. "My name is Pheonix Anna Lewis, and I am a senior at Tree Hill High School. Nine to five, it's a high school. After that it's movie studio. See the Lucas Scott, small town high school basketball star, he got his novel published. A tale of drama, romance, loss, lies, deception. A tale of truth. An epic love story that's going from paper to the big screen. So as I walk the halls of Tree Hill High, I'm walking through history, but our graduating class is making our own history. We may not win the state championship, we probably won't have someone design a clothing line. But if I look closer, what will I find?"

"Wow," Jamie looked up at me, his eyes wide with amazement. "Momma, what did you think?"

I rubbed my neck anxiously as Haley read the words I had just spoken aloud, "It's great. Come see me before class tomorrow, okay?" I nodded, "Now get out of here, before the camera crew arrive."

I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear as I walked down the hallway and out of the building. There may only be One Tree Hill, but I might have just found my ticket out of here.


	2. Game Day

**A/N - Thanks for the reviews and favourite-ing the story. I really appreciate it, it does actually make me want to write at this stupid hour in the morning. Please let me know what you think. There isn't really a plan for this fic, so it's as unpredictable for you as it is for me. **

**Also, for future reference, any major parts of text in italics are parts of Phoenix's writings and musings.**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter Two - Game Day

I always loved game days. There was a sense of anticipation, fear, excitement. The amalgamation of all of these things always made for an intense atmosphere around the school. It was always a time to be in early, soak it all up. Coach Durham's tradition continued. The players smartened up and the cheerleaders wore their uniforms for the entire day. Even with this segregation, there was an odd sense of unity.

Sitting in the quad, the anticipation of tonight's game was evident. Probably more-so because of the presence of some of the Hollywood Studio representatives. That was the rumour anyway.

I had another reason to be in school early this morning, not just to get away from my meddling mother trying to work out why I wasn't out with a boy the night before. Haley wanted to see me. I don't know if this was a good thing or bad thing.

Approaching her classroom, I could hear voices, one of which I recognised to be Haley's, another belonging to Lucas and a third and fourth, both of which were male. Hearing my name being mentioned, I stopped outside the door and listened in,

"We'll have people queuing up the pay for this sort of access. Why should we give it to some kid?" One of the voices I didn't recognise wasn't making himself my favourite person.

"That's my point exactly, people will be paying for this to write anything. They'll be looking for the drama, and fighting…"

Knocking gently on the door, I opened it before anyone had a chance to reply, "Sorry. I just thought I'd be better fighting this fight for myself?" I looked up at Haley, who smiled at me. "Sometimes it's easy to feel like you're the only one in the world who's struggling, who's frustrated, or unsatisfied at barely getting by. But, that feeling is a lie and if you just hold on; just find the courage to face it all for another day, someone or something will find they way to make it all okay." I looked up at the four faces in the room, Haley and Lucas were smiling. The other two guys in the room seemed intrigued, so I continued. "Because we all need a little help sometimes, someone to help us hear the music in the world. To remind us that it won't always be this way. That someone is out there, and that someone will find you." I paused trying to work out what I was going to say next. Quoting Lucas was the easy bit, and it had probably won three out of the four people in the room. But the guy in the corner still seemed unconvinced. "I've lived in Tree Hill all my life, I don't have a boyfriend, or a job. I spend most of my nights babysitting my eight month old niece while my mom and sister are out doing double shifts. You could have someone pay to write something sufficiently nice about the movie and the book, but the book and the movie deserve something more than just something nice. I have a shot at a paid internship this summer, but I have to give them something that will make me stand out. This is my shot. Someone gave each of you a shot one day, why can't my day be today?"

"So we're just meant to give a shot to any kid that wants it cause they're from around here?" This was the same voice as that I had heard earlier. I really didn't like this guy.

Haley buried her head in her hands and sighed, "Julian, you own the rights. What do you think?"

"We'll be back tonight. If you write as good as you talk, you can have a shot."

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"_My name is Lucas Scott, I am a senior at Tree Hill High School. Tree Hill is just a place somewhere in the world, maybe it's a lot like your world, maybe it's nothing like it. But if you look closer, you might see someone like you." - Lucas Scott_

_My name is Pheonix Anna Lewis, and I am a senior at Tree Hill High School. Tree Hill used to be just a place somewhere in the world, maybe it was a lot like your world, maybe it was nothing like it. But if you looked close enough, you would probably have found someone a lot like you._

_My name is Pheonix Anna Lewis, and I am a senior at Tree Hill High School. Nine to five, it's a high school. After that it's movie studio. See the Lucas Scott, small town high school basketball star, he got his novel published. A tale of drama, romance, loss, lies, deception. A tale of truth. An epic love story that's going from paper to the big screen. _

_So as I walk the halls of Tree Hill High, I'm walking through history, but our graduating class is making our own history. We may not win the state championship, we probably won't have someone design a clothing line. But if I look closer, what will I find?_

_Today is no ordinary day at Tree Hill High. It's game day. I always loved game days. There was a sense of anticipation, excitement, fear. Fear not only of failure, put fear of the opportunities that success on this night could bring. However tonight is no ordinary game day, this is also the first night of shooting for the Ravens movie. Everyone is talking about it. There was an extra buzz around the quad at lunch. The cheerleaders all want to be part of the movie, so were perfecting routines. Tonight their anticipation is not only for the game, and the movie, but also for the chance to spend time with Brooke Davis._

_Lucas Scott once wrote "She was fiercely independent, Brooke Davis. Brilliant, and beautiful, and brave. In two years she had grown more than anyone I had ever known. Brooke Davis is going to change the world someday. I'm not sure she even knows it."_

_Brooke Davis was always more than just a cheerleader. The whispers down the halls of the school nowadays were not only of her popularity, but her success as student body president, her clothing line which half the school was dressed in, if not half the state and her recent more surprising activities. Brooke Davis has a brilliant mind, she had a dream and she achieved it. Clothes over Bro's was a runaway success, it was more than just a clothing line. Clothes over Bro's was a phrase that I often hear muttered among girlfriends. Beauty was something that no one could deny of Brooke Davis. And bravery? If Brooke had not proved bravery through her high school years, then she did recently at the Tree Hill Boutique of C over B. _

_The Brooke Davis we will see in Ravens, will be the Brooke Davis of high school. She will be fun, flirty, surrounded by drama. She will be the party girl that the party girls of my graduating class try to be. These party girls can only hope to do half the things that Brooke has achieved. And maybe that's what keeps them going. Maybe they think they can party and have fun for now, and something will come along that will change everything. But they aren't Brooke Davis, as much as they may try._

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Scanning through the work I had done in the quad over lunch, I spent my free period pacing outside Haley's classroom, mustering the courage to go in. Checking the time on my cell, I had five minutes before this class would end and my chance would be gone. I knocked on the door without giving it another thought, and as I walked in the classroom I could feel twenty two pairs of eyes on me, "What can I do for you Phoenix?" Haley asked.

"Could I borrow Sam for a sec?" I asked,

"Yeah sure." She gestured for Sam to follow me out of the classroom.

"I'm writing about Ravens, and I have to give something to Julian and Dixon tonight. I started to write about Brooke, but I'm not sure about it. And I read your piece about Quentin, and then I saw your piece in the paper and I was wondering if you would mind helping me out a little? I haven't even showed Haley…" I trailed off.

Sam seemed surprised that I had asked her. Pleasantly so. "You sure you want me to do this?"

"Hell yes!" I scrambled in my bag for the piece I had written. "I have to give it to them before the game tonight. We could maybe meet in the quad before then?" She nodded, taking the piece of paper from me. "And I want you to be in it too, what I'm writing I mean. You're a part of this world now, a big one."

She was taken aback by this, "Are you serious? I mean, I've just started here and I know I live with Brooke, but that's it." She looked down at the pieces of paper I had given her, "I can meet you in the quad an hour before tip-off? Unless I get stuck with Brooke and Julian being all over each other…" she trailed off.

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	3. Just Haley James

**A/N - Thanks again for the reviews and favourite-ing. I'm playing around with a few ideas for this and my other fic that's currently on here, and another few ideas. But…I do have deadlines coming up in the next few weeks, but after that it's pretty much holiday time until September. So if you read, please take two minutes to reply with a review, just to motivate me into writing? Thanks.**

**If you review, include your favourite Tree Hill moment…a classic Naley/Leyton/Brucas moment or a bit of Brulian maybe? Or even Jeyton? And I'll get as many in the next few chapters as I can.**

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Chapter Three - Just Haley James

_Walking through Tree Hill on game days was always inspiring, although the few wins the team had this season meant that support had sort of fallen. Of course, the arrival of cameras changed all that. It was always as if it was a State Championship game, banners and flags outside houses and cars hammering their horns as they drove past the school. That's the magic of the movies I guess._

The walk home took me about thirty minutes, but was the only time I truly had to myself. I used to spend as little time at home as possible, but it was Sam that made me really realise how lucky I was. I had mom and dad, my older brother was at college, and my older sister lived ten minutes away with her boyfriend and my niece Louise. As much as my family annoyed the hell out of me, they were all around and for that I was not only lucky but grateful.

As I approached the house, there was a car in the drive that I immediately recognised as Haley's. I tapped on the window and she rolled it down, "Have you been waiting long?" I asked, hoping my slow wander home hadn't held her back.

"No, been here about five minutes. The boys are in the gym preparing for tonight. I just wanted to drop by and let you know that I think that was a really great thing that you did for Sam."

Shrugging my shoulders, I gestured for her to follow me into the house, "It was nothing," I said, "I mean you put your job on the line for her, and the stuff she writes is awesome. It's really her doing me a favour."

Haley sat down at the kitchen table and I sat opposite her. Somehow it wasn't weird having a teacher in the house, "And I'm sorry about this morning. Dixon," she paused, trying to find exactly the right word.

"Seems like a bit of a dick?" I finished for her. I took her laughter as a yes.

"I think when he knows exactly what you want to do, he might come round to the idea. Just don't let him think he's going to sleep with you," she warned me.

Sighing, I pulled a notebook out of my bag, "Do you mind if I ask you a few things? I want to look back on what Lucas wrote about in Ravens, and how you all came back together. And now with the movie, how it all impacts on our senior year. It's like, when we sophomores the book came out and suddenly we became a part of history. And everyone wanted to be like Brooke, or Peyton, or you. And have an epic love story…" I trailed off.

"You can all do great things," Haley assured me, "But yeah, ask away," she looked down at her watch, "I'm all yours until I have to go pick up my boys."

I took my cell phone out of my pocket and began recording, "What do you think would've happened if you didn't marry Nathan? If you hadn't gone out at all."

Sighing, she rested her elbow on the table and her head on her fist, "This feels like I'm back in therapy!" She laughed, "I think most important of all, I wouldn't have Jamie. And I can't imagine my life without him. I think it's easy to say a lot of what if's though. It's like, what if Keith didn't take Whitey to the River Court and what if Lucas never got on the team? Then none of these great things would be happening. Would Brooke have started her clothing line? Would I have gone on tour? A lot of things would be different, and some really bad stuff maybe wouldn't have happened, but we wouldn't have all had our chances to be great."

"You know, if you're gonna do music again. Nothing like a movie for some easy PR," I suggested, "They did get someone that can sing to play you in the movie, right?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I hope so. But about the music thing, I really don't know. Nathan's getting back into basketball and Jamie is my priority."

It was actually difficult to think what else I could ask her, especially because she was my teacher. I knew there was a line that I couldn't really cross. "Did you think when you got pregnant, and with neither you or Nathan going to Duke that the rest of your lives were slipping away?" I asked, "That sounded pretty awful, didn't it?" She shook her head and smiled at me, "What I mean is, did you have a plan?"

She nodded, "Yeah. I mean, doesn't everybody? Every year, when school started, Lucas and I would write predictions for the year. But if I had done one then for the next five years, it probably would've been to fall in love, and have a great job doing something I love."

"So Haley James got all her dreams, but just pretty much all before she finished high school?"

_Today I spent thirty minutes with my teacher, Mrs James-Scott. But for those fifteen minutes I wasn't talking to her as my teacher. I wasn't talking to Haley James, tutor girl. Or Haley James, rock star. I spoke to Haley James Scott: wife, mother, teacher, song-writer. Haley James Scott has achieved many things. Many things that around the halls of Tree Hill High, students dream of. _

_The students of Tree Hill High are making their own history, but does this graduating class have their own Haley James Scott? There are aspiring rock stars, there's kids that want to teach after college, there's some that will just be grateful to get in to college. But we can all learn from Haley James Scott - and not just in her class - but for everything that she stands for. Her portrayal in Ravens shows her as a quite probably a typical teen. She wasn't the party girl, she was studious, hardworking. She made mistakes. She struggled, she fought and won back her husband. She had the whole world ahead of her, college, teaching, but she was blessed with her son. And she __**still**__ achieved her dream of teaching?_

_If there is only one thing that I can learn from Mrs James-Scott, it is that in whatever you dream, never give up. Fight for it, fight for it until you have it. _

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**Review, please?**

**K_x**


	4. Deal

**A/N: Sorry it's been a while, I have had an interesting week to say the least. Adds on this might get a bit slow in the next couple of weeks, but I'm hoping the new episodes will provide me with some inspiration.**

Chapter Three - Deal

The sense of anticipation in the gym was mind boggling. Chris was commentating for and even he seemed speechless. I gave him a small wave as I took my seat next to Sam. Her and Brooke were running late, so we were going to grab a coffee after the game. Brooke was on the other side of Sam, Jamie sitting between her and Haley.

Lucas was pacing the base line, he was here in the capacity of both coach and film producer. The seat next to me was not empty for long. I was so busy taking in everything that was happening, that I didn't notice that the person that had taken the seat next to me was Peyton Sawyer. "Hey, are you Phoenix?" she asked, offering her hand for me to shake.

I shook her hand and nodded, "Yeah, that's me."

"You seemed to rile Dixon earlier," she laughed, "Nice job."

_Peyton sat with one hand protectively covering her stomach. On her finger was the engagement ring that Keith had given to Karen. For Peyton and Lucas, love always remained, but it was not a simple path. Their time together before the engagement and announcement of their pregnancy was almost as turbulent as it was in their teenage years. Lindsay Strauss became the Brooke Davis of the love triangle, but she never had a chance. _

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_It was halftime and the Ravens were down by nineteen. To get this back would be quite a comeback. At least they had a man in the locker room that knew a thing or two about comebacks. Nathan Scott._

Sitting in the bleachers, wasn't the ideal time for writing, but the current state of the game seemed to inspire me. "Do you ever put your notebook down?" I looked up, Haley and Jamie were smiling down at me, "I don't think I write in my sleep," I laughed, "You excited to have your dad back?" I asked Jamie.

He nodded madly. "Go sit down sweetie, I want to talk to Nix for a second." She sat down next to me, "They want to meet with you when Lucas is done here, I think the attention of the cheerleaders have calmed Dixon, but don't pay attention to his BS. It's Lucas and Julian you have to win over really."

Chris waved me down from the bleachers to sit with him for the second half commentary, "And joining me now is Phoenix. What did you think of the first half?"

I held the microphone of the headset at my mouth, "Hi Chris. I think there needs to be a shake-up on D and shoot some threes. But there is no reason it can't be done."

I let Chris get on with his thing during the third quarter, we were now only down by three with seven minutes left on the clock. The Ravens had taken a time-out. Haley approached the table, waving someone down from the bleachers. "Hey Chris, do you mind if I swap you Phoenix with an old timer?" We both turned around,

"Mouth McFadden is standing next to me," Chris spoke to the microphone. I handed him my headset,

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to another historic night…" he grinned at Chris.

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I walked around the empty gym with Sam as she read my other few notes, "Boys still get in the way of friendships," she read aloud, "Albeit, there have been fewer dramas than were had between Brooke Davis and Peyton Sawyer. Those two really had some drama, huh?"

"Yeah. I think that's why most of my friends are guys." I admitted, "But it reads okay?"Sam nodded, "So why New York?"

I picked up a stray basketball and stood at the free-throw line, "I spent a lot of time with family out there, and I just loved the buzz of the city. The rush, the excitement, the unpredictability of it all…" I trailed off, "I love Tree Hill, and it'll always be home. But it's so different. And I want to prove I can be somebody to them."

I aimed for the back-board, but the ball hit off the rim and fell to the floor. "I don't think I could do any better," she laughed, handing me the paper and picking up the ball. "Maybe we should leave the pro's to it?" she suggested, nodding her head to the left.

I turned and saw Nathan walk in with Jamie on his shoulders, Lucas and Julian with the girls walking behind them. What a shame, no Dixon(!).

"I called the production company…" Julian started, before we'd even had a chance to greet each other, "They're happy for you to submit your work to the place in New York with our stamp of approval."

"I'll even help you edit it," Lucas offered.

Sam walked over to Brooke, "That's my job Luke."

"Can we go home?" Peyton asked, walking closer to Lucas who placed his arm protectively around her.

He kissed her on the forehead and nodded, placing a hand on the small of her back and leading her out of the gym. They were closely followed by the three Scott's. "No big after game party tonight then?" Brooke asked, bouncing the ball.

"Probably somewhere, but it's not really my scene."

"The broody artist type?" her grin widened, "I should call you P Lewis. We're going for dinner if you want to join us, and you can tell me about some more of the wonderful things that you're going to write about me," she laughed.

"Really?" I asked,

"Please," Sam asked, "Don't leave me with them alone," she hissed.

"I'd love to."

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**A/N: I think in the next couple of chapters I'm going to put together what Phoenix has started rambling off together, and bring in some old OTH moments. Thanks for reading, please review! The more reviews, the faster the next chapter!**

**K_x**


	5. Paper Dreams

**A/N - Sorry it's been so long, I just started writing chapter six, totally forgetting about this one. It's not much, but it's just a little something to get you back into the story. I've got a lot of work on at the moment, but I'm hoping that I'll be inspired once again when I get back into watching season six in preparation for the new episode next week! Thanks to those who have reviewed so far, your views do give me some direction of where to go next and what to include more of, so please do review!**

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Chapter Five - Paper Dreams

After dinner, I drove home to find an envelope left on my desk. Checking the return address, I tore the envelope open folding out the single sheet of paper:"Dear Phoenix,

We are interested with your ideas and look forward to reading your submission in it's entirety. On receipt of your submission, we will ensure to get back to you within 28 days.

The itinerary of the internship that you have applied for is detailed overleaf."

I turned the page over and continued to read:

"Two days induction with the basement reporters.

Three days field reporting.

Four days shadowing a reporter in a discipline of your interest."

I skimmed through the rest of the list to get onto the final paragraph of the letter:

"Any work that you submit during this, will be copyrighted to the company. On the basis of any work submitted, and published an offer of further employment may be offered at the paper or possibly with another of our publications."

I squealed to myself, reading over the last line of the letter. Creeping out of my bedroom, I knocked gently on my mom's bedroom door, "Mom?" I whispered, not wanting to wake her.

"I'm awake honey, how come you were so late back?" She beckoned me into the room and I sat next to her,

"I went for a bite to eat with Sam, Brooke and Julian. I just read the letter…" I trailed off. Mom sat up and gestured for me to continue, "There's all this stuff I'm getting to do and then they said there might be jobs on the go. Can you imagine that mom, I could be a writer for a living." I beamed.

She smiled back at me, "And what about college?"

"Oh, I'll still apply don't worry momma. I mean, it'd be stupid not to. But I've got a while before I have to think about that. I'm gonna call it a night."

I hugged her and walked over to the door, "Don't be up writing all night honey. G'night."

_Is who you are in high school who you will be for the rest of your lives? Does anyone even care who you were in high school? I suppose if you make it, like Lucas Scott and Brooke Davis to name but a few of Tree Hill High's most famous, then I guess who they were in high school does matter. Even more so now that their high school years are being translated from paper to the screen. Their fame may bring the fame of the actors chosen to play them in this movie, but will this sudden thrust of fame on Tree Hill lead everyone to feel highly inadequate? Or will this years senior class learn to dream too?_


	6. Censorship

**A/N - Finally another chapter. This is definitely slow and steady…I'm gonna do my best to really get into it though, which should be easier now that most of my coursework is out of the review - let me know what you like, what you don't like, what you'd like to see more of/less of…anything at all!Thanks for being patient with me on this one!**

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Chapter Six - Censored

I had arranged to meet with Haley before school to talk about the scholarship letter and my plan for my piece on the movie. She had seem preoccupied when I last spoke to her, something about the new principal not wanting Sam's article to be published. She went ahead and published the article anyway, the reaction was unbelievable. There was a respect for Sam now, and of course, Brooke only heightened her reputation around the halls she used to frequent.

Sam was sitting on Haley's desk, fiddling with her cell phone, "Where's Haley?" I asked, sliding my bag off my shoulder and onto my desk.

"Suspended," Sam sighed, "For publishing my article. I didn't mean for anyone to get into trouble."

"You wrote an awesome article and won the competition. Haley believes in you and everyone thought it rocked. It's not your problem if the new principal doesn't like it. Last time I checked, we had the right to free speech?"

Sam had a free period, so she stayed in the class as the rest of my senior class filtered into the room, all wondering where our teacher was. Being seniors, they hadn't bothered sending us a teacher to cover. Haley had left a note on her desk to be read to the class, which I took the liberty of doing, "You have been trusted to get on with the reading and pop quiz I told you about last class. I'll submit a plan for the rest of your classes until I get back. I know I can trust you guys to do this. HJS." I placed the piece of paper back down on the desk, "Mrs James Scott has been suspended for publishing Sam's article in the paper," I explained, "The new principal is trying to censor us. I think after everything that's happened in this school, and in Tree Hill recently, she would realise that we aren't all naïve little kids," I sighed.

"I wrote my article to make a point that life isn't easy," Sam spoke up, "I was just this messed up kid, and Haley and Brooke really took a chance on me. For the first time people were proud of me, but I've just caused more trouble for Haley now. I wrote the article, not her."

My friend Lucy stood at the back of the class and spoke, "You've done nothing wrong Sam. You're article was great. I know I have an easy life, but reading that made me realise how lucky I am to have a family. I couldn't imagine going through what you have been through."

Lucy's words were agreed on by most of my class, and the other classes of Haley's that Sam and I spoke to. Of course, once the principal got wind of our little speeches, it wasn't long before Sam and I were dragged to detention. "Phoenix, do you want to go to college?"

"Yes." I answered,

"And Sam, do you want to stay in high school?"

"Yes."

"Then I suggest that both of you get home and are back in classes tomorrow. And that you stop rallying your peers into a fight against me. I am your Principal, and this school runs by my rules."

"With all due respect," I cut in, "But Tree Hill has had it's share of bad news in the past few years. We aren't immune to death, drugs and all the bad things in the world. If anything, Sam's article showed how Tree Hill High can be a sanctuary, can get people back on track. And that you have teachers that really care, like Mrs James Scott."

"We don't mean to undermine you, we just want our teacher back," Sam added.

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I drove Sam back to her house, where unbeknownst to us, Haley and Peyton were hanging out with Brooke. We stood in the doorway, hoping they wouldn't notice how late we were. "What have you two been doing?" Brooke asked, noticing the time.

"Detention," we said in unison.

"Shut up!" Haley laughed, "Nic, you've never had a detention!"I glanced at Sam, "That was your first detention?" she asked, her eyes widening in shock.

"You guys really did have detention, didn't you?" Brooke asked, looking from me to Sam. "Well?" she said, gesturing for us to sit down and explain.

"We just made the point that we thought it was unfair that Haley was suspended," I started,

"And then Phoenix buttered her up by saying how the article shows how the school can be a sanctuary," Sam finished. "It worked out quite well in the end, I mean, she hates us, but we made our point."

Brooke looked over at Haley, "I should be mad Sam got detention, but she was just sticking up for you-"

"-Which they're right, it's totally unfair." Peyton added.

"You can't just start rallying students every time the principal does something you don't like." Haley finished. "But thanks."

* * *

_I spent the afternoon with Brooke Davis, Peyton Sawyer and Haley James Scott. These three woman crossed paths in high school. There were love triangles, road trips, betrayals, backstabbing, bitch slaps, broken hearts and they were also the best of friends. _

_In their four years at Tree Hill High, they led three very different lives. Haley James became Haley James Scott, tutor girl, rock star, wife, class valedictorian and mother. Peyton Sawyer dated the star of the basketball team, and then fell for his half brother who was dating her best friend. She was shot in the leg and lost her mother, produced a benefit record and flew off to LA for an internship. Brooke Davis was head cheerleader, class president, party girl, pretty girl, clean teen, fashion designer. _

_Tutor girl went full circle and became a teacher at Tree Hill High - one of the few the kids actually like._

_Brooke Davis returned home for her best friend Peyton Sawyer and opened a boutique, became a mother - twice - and started another fashion line._

_Peyton Sawyer came home for Lucas Scott and got her man in the end, and she even found the time to start a record label of her own._

_Most important of all these things, is nine years after they started high school, they are still the best of friends._

_When you leave high school, go to work, go to college, where do you see yourself in nine, ten years? We're not all going to get a movie made of our time at high school, but I for one know that if I could have half the happiness of the three woman I spent the afternoon with, then I'll be doing just fine._


	7. Tric Celebrations

_A/N - I am so sorry for abandoning this. When all my files corrupted, I just sort of lost all inspiration. It didn't help that the film was canned in the show either. So this isn't the end I had hoped for, and I know it's a sudden end. But I figured that a sudden end was better than no end at all._

_I will try and work on another OTH story, maybe something for around Christmastime. I want to write it in full before beginning to post, so as not to leave myself and you fabulous people for reading, hanging and disappointed._

_So thanks for reading thus far, and I'm sorry this isn't great._

_Please review and let me know what you thought of the story as a whole, and if you have any suggestions of what kind of OTH story you'd like to see._

_Thanks -K_

_**Chapter Seven - Tric Celebrations**_

_**Tree Hill High returned to normality before things really got to begin. Ravens turned out to be a love story that couldn't avoid the current economic crisis. But maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe it was enough just to bring a little bit of hope to the people of Tree Hill. If we look to the core group of the story, we see all the heartache and pain and despair, and the knowledge that if you have the strength to ride it out that maybe things will turn out okay in the end. Or maybe they'll turn out to be better than okay.**_

_**Sitting at the River Court, the signatures sprayed onto the court all those years ago have faded, been covered by words and a comet. But there's an undeniable sense of hope. To my left, the cheerleaders are sitting in the bleachers, giggling away about something or another. The entire senior class is scattered around the court in the usual groups, some unlikely groups merging together. **_

_**An Unkindness of Ravens is part of our history. The party girls have to grow into the adult Brooke Davis now, become the next amazing women of this world. The tutor centre can no longer be a safe haven for those who spent a majority of their high school life…they will go onto college and achieve great things, I am sure. The athletes, football team, basketball team…maybe they'll go pro, maybe they'll fall in love and become great fathers. They can learn from their coaches not only what they have been taught on court, but also off it. They're smart enough to listen.**_

_**For me. Well maybe I'll come back from my summer internship and have it all figured out. I can look to the words from Ravens, and hope for a love like the boy and the comet. I can hope for a success and happiness that others have found from being around this court. The court where the story of Ravens truly begun, and a fitting end for me.**_

_**I read over the final that I would be submitting by hand on Monday in New York. Although the film never got passed filming once scene, my preliminary work had been enough to get me the place I wanted. It was my dream, and it was coming true.**_

_**I glanced up at the people around me. In a few days we would all be going out separate ways and although sad, I was also full of hope. Hope for all the possibilities of the future. I knew there would be a struggle, perhaps major setbacks, but I knew that I had it in me to get there. I would fight for what I wanted like Haley told me to. "You finished?" I looked up to find Chris hovering over me.**_

"_**Yeah. It's done. And now we can party."**_

_**He held out his hand to help me up, and didn't let go as we walked from the River Court to Tric. Peyton and Lucas were throwing us a party in their absence. It was meant to be the wrap party for the movie, and Haley suggested that we use it for our grad party. At midnight, we would be deleted from the school's computer system. Tonight was the end of our senior year.**_


End file.
